U.S. patent application number 10/567255 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-14 for hybrid component and associated production method.
This patent application is currently assigned to DaimlerChrysler AG. Invention is credited to Konrad Eipper, Bernd Klepsch, Juergen Knothe, Bernhard Spies.
Application Number | 20070131012 10/567255 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34177346 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070131012 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Eipper; Konrad ; et
al. |
June 14, 2007 |
Hybrid component and associated production method
Abstract
The present invention relates to a hybrid component comprising a
sheet-metal metal body and a plastic body injection-molded onto the
sheet-metal body. The sheet-metal body is produced by cutting,
edging, stamping and/or plastic forming a plate-shaped metal sheet,
and has a surface coating on at least one visible side, as well as
at least one uncoated cut or stamped edge. The plastic body is
injection-molded so that it seals the at least one uncoated or
stamped edge of the sheet metal body and stiffens the sheet metal
body.
Inventors: |
Eipper; Konrad; (Rottenburg,
DE) ; Klepsch; Bernd; (Bremen, DE) ; Knothe;
Juergen; (Gaertringen, DE) ; Spies; Bernhard;
(Sindelfingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CROWELL & MORING LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
P.O. BOX 14300
WASHINGTON
DC
20044-4300
US
|
Assignee: |
DaimlerChrysler AG
Epplestrasse 225
Stuggart
DE
70567
|
Family ID: |
34177346 |
Appl. No.: |
10/567255 |
Filed: |
August 5, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
August 5, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP04/08777 |
371 Date: |
July 6, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/46 ; 264/279;
264/279.1; 428/137 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29K 2705/00 20130101;
B29C 2045/14868 20130101; B29C 45/14344 20130101; B29C 2045/14237
20130101; Y10T 428/24322 20150115; B62D 29/004 20130101; B29C
45/14221 20130101; B29L 2031/3002 20130101; B29C 45/14336 20130101;
B62D 29/001 20130101; B29C 45/1671 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
072/046 ;
428/137; 264/279; 264/279.1 |
International
Class: |
B32B 3/24 20060101
B32B003/24; B29C 45/14 20060101 B29C045/14; B21C 23/24 20060101
B21C023/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 7, 2003 |
DE |
10336187.1 |
Claims
1. A hybrid component comprising a metal body and a plastic body
injection-molded onto the metal body, wherein: the metal body is a
sheet metal body formed by one of edging, stamping, plastic forming
and cutting a plate-shaped metal sheet provided with a surface
coating on at least one visible side thereof; the metal body has at
least one uncoated edge, and the plastic body is adapted to stiffen
the sheet metal body and seal the at least one uncoated edge.
2. The hybrid component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet
metal body is produced from a coil--of coated metal sheet.
3. The hybrid component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a region
of the uncoated edges of the sheet metal body, the plastic body
comprises a plastic other than that in the remaining body.
4. The hybrid component as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plastic
body is one of a single-component part and a two-component
part.
5. The hybrid component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plastic
body completely covers a visible side of the sheet metal body.
6. A method for the production of a hybrid component comprising a
sheet metal body and a plastic body, the method comprising: forming
a sheet metal body by one of edging, stamping, plastic forming and
cutting a plate-shaped metal sheet provided with a surface coating
on at least one visible side, whereby at least one uncoated cut
edges is formed on the sheet metal body, injection molding a
plastic body onto the sheet metal body such that the plastic body
stiffens the sheet metal body and seals the at least one uncoated
edges.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sheet metal body
is produced from a coil--of coated metal sheet.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the plastic body is
injection-molded onto the sheet metal body by means of a
two-component technology; and in a region of uncoated edges of the
sheet metal body, the plastic body comprises a plastic which
differs from that in the remaining body.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the injection molding
of the plastic body by the two-component technology is carried out
in a single injection-molding die.
10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plastic body is
injection-molded onto the sheet metal body such that it completely
covers a visible side of the sheet metal body.
11. A hybrid component comprising: a sheet metal body formed from a
plate-shaped metal sheet using a forming process selected from the
group consisting of edging, stamping, plastic forming and cutting;
a surface coating formed on at least one visible side of said sheet
metal body, said surface coating covering said at least one visible
side, except for at least one uncoated edge formed during said
forming process; and a plastic body injection-molded onto the sheet
metal body; wherein the plastic body is adapted to stiffen the
sheet metal body and seals the at least one uncoated edge.
12. A method of making a hybrid component comprising a sheet metal
body and a plastic body, the method comprising: providing a
plate-shaped metal sheet having a surface coating on at least one
visible side thereof; forming a sheet metal body having at least
one uncoated cut or stamped edge by one of edging, stamping,
plastic forming and cutting the plate-shaped metal sheet; and
forming a plastic body by injection molding a plastic material onto
the sheet metal body; wherein the plastic body is adapted to
stiffen the sheet metal body, and seals the at least one uncoated
cut or stamped edge.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application claims the priority of German patent
document 103 36 187.1, filed Aug. 7, 2003 (PCT International
Application No. PCT/EP2004/008777, filed Aug. 5, 2004), the
disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference
herein.
[0002] The present invention relates to a hybrid component
comprising a metal body and a plastic body that is injection molded
onto the metal body, and to an associated production method.
[0003] A hybrid component of this type is known, for example, from
DE 100 29 411 A1 and consists of a metal body and of a plastic body
injected-molded on the latter. In the known hybrid component, the
plastic body serves to connect two metal bodies, the plastic body
being injection-molded such that it forms an electrically
insulating layer between, in this case, an extruded profile and a
sandwich element.
[0004] In order to protect the metallic surfaces of a hybrid
component from environmental influences, in particular from
corrosion, it is possible, in principle, to provide the respective
metal body with a suitable surface coating. This, however, may be
relatively complicated.
[0005] For metal bodies which are produced from a coil-coated metal
sheet, there is, according to DE 37 04 364 C1, the possibility of
coating and sealing cut edges formed during edging and stamping
operations using UV radiation cured lacquers.
[0006] Also, it is known from DE 40 11 320 C2 to seal cut edges of
stamped, pressed, or cut plate-shaped metal parts by coating with a
coating powder by means of an electrostatic powder spraying
method.
[0007] However, the known methods for sealing cut edges of this
type are comparatively complicated.
[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a
cost-effective method of producing a hybrid component with surface
protection.
[0009] This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the
present invention, which is based on the general idea of using a
surface-coated sheet metal body for producing the hybrid component,
and modifying the injection molding of the plastic body in a
controlled way, such that the plastic body is molded around cut
edges formed during the production of the sheet metal body from a
plate-shaped metal sheet. As a result, the sealing of the cut edges
is integrated into the injection molding of the plastic body.
[0010] Furthermore, in order to increase the stability of the sheet
metal body, the plastic body is at the same time designed to
stiffen the metal body, so that the plastic body has a double
function. Overall, the hybrid component can thus have the desired
rigidity due to the stiffening of the sheet metal body by the
plastic body. Moreover, by refining the injection molding
operation, the hybrid component can be produced cost-effectively,
with its metal surfaces protected from harmful environmental
conditions.
[0011] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention development,
in the region of the uncoated edges of the sheet metal body, the
plastic body may consist of a plastic other than that in the
remaining body. By virtue of this type of construction, the
plastics can be optimized in terms of their functions. For example,
the plastic injection-molded onto the edges can be selected in
light of the surface protection desired for the sheet metal body,
while the plastic in the remaining plastic body can be selected in
light of the desired stiffening effect.
[0012] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description of the invention when considered in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIGS. 1 to 4 are simplified basic illustrations which show a
longitudinal section through a hybrid component according to the
invention, in various phases of its production; and
[0014] FIGS. 5 and 6 show other embodiments as in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are
illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the
following description, wherein the same reference symbols relate to
identical or functionally identical or similar components.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, a hybrid component 1 according to the
invention comprises a metallic sheet metal body 2 and a plastic
body 3 which, as shown, may be a multipart. The sheet metal body 2
is provided with a surface coating 4 on at least one visible side
(here on both visible sides). By virtue of its production and/or
processing, the sheet metal body 2 has uncoated edges 5 which arise
during the edging of the sheet metal body 2 on its outsides and/or
during the punching out of, in particular, a perforation 6. Such
edges may also be the result of another processing method.
[0017] According to the invention, the plastic body 3 is
injected-molded onto the sheet metal body 2 such that the uncoated
edges 5 are thereby sealed. That is, the free edges 5 are framed by
the plastic 7 of the plastic body 3.
[0018] Whereas, in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the plastic
body 3 is produced in a unitary manner from one and the same
plastic 7, FIG. 5 shows a variant in which the plastic body 2 is
designed as a two-component part, specifically such that, it
consists, in the region of the edges 5, of a plastic 7' other than
that in the remaining plastic body 3. As a result, within the
plastic body 3, either plastic (7 or 7') can be optimized according
to its function. For example, the plastic 7' formed over the edges
5 is suitable especially for surface protection of the sheet metal
body 2, while the plastic 7 used in the remaining plastic body 3 is
selected based on the main function of the plastic body 3. In the
hybrid component 1 according to the invention, this main function
is the stiffening of the sheet metal body 2. This means that the
hybrid component 1 can acquires its desired rigidity and strength
due to the bond between sheet metal body 2 and plastic body 3.
[0019] The hybrid component 1 may be used, for example, in motor
vehicle construction, such as for trim element which is foam-backed
and stiffened with the aid of the plastic body 3.
[0020] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the plastic body 3 is
configured such that it completely covers one of the visible sides
of the sheet metal body 2.
[0021] The embodiment according to FIG. 6 corresponds essentially
to the variant from FIG. 4, but shows that the plastic body 3 does
not have to fill the perforation 6 completely. The injection-molded
plastic 7 surrounds or seals the edge 5 of the perforation 6 so
that, even after the injection molding of the plastic body 3, an
orifice passing through the hybrid component 1 remains.
[0022] A method according to the invention for the production of
the hybrid component 1 (according to the variant shown in FIG. 4)
is explained in more detail below.
[0023] First, according to FIG. 1, the sheet metal body 2 is
produced from a plate-shaped metal sheet, in particular from a
coil-coated metal sheet, which is provided at least on one visible
side with the surface coating 4. In this case, the shape desired
for the sheet metal body 2 is produced from the plate-shaped metal
sheet by plastic forming, edging, cutting and/or stamping, thereby
forming the uncoated cut or stamped edges 5.
[0024] According to FIG. 2, the sheet metal body 2 produced in this
way is introduced into an injection-molding die 8 which has a lower
part 9 and an upper part 10 that come to bear one against the other
at a parting line 11. To produce the plastic body 3 or its parts,
cavities 12 are formed in the injection-molding die 8 and are
connected to injection ducts 13. Corresponding venting ducts (not
shown) may also be provided.
[0025] According to FIG. 3, the plastic 7 is injected in the
direction of arrow 14 into the cavities 12 through the injection
ducts 13, with the result that the plastic body 3 is formed in the
cavities 12. The cavities 12 are configured such that the injected
plastic 7 can close and thereby seal the edges 5 of the sheet metal
body 2.
[0026] According to FIG. 4, after being removed from the
injection-molding die 8, the hybrid component 1 is essentially
finished.
[0027] In so far as the plastic body 3 is designed as a
two-component part, the plastic 7' sealing the edges 5 can be
injection-molded first in a first injection-molding die.
Subsequently, in a second injection-molding die, the other plastic
7 can be injection-molded in order to form the remaining plastic
body 3. A variant is preferred, however, in which the two-component
technology can be carried out in one and the same injection-molding
die 8.
[0028] All of the above-mentioned references are herein
incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as
if each individual reference was specifically and individually
indicated to be incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
[0029] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to
illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since
modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit
and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the
art, the invention should be construed to include everything within
the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *